Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-12-25

To welcome Him. The noble part
OEall the house here i the heart.
Chorus
Which we will give Him, and bequeath
This holly. and this ivy wreath,
To DO Him honor, who's our King,
Robert Herriek.
A feeling OF deyout thankfulness per-
meated the beings Of a good many people
az they tucked the bed-clothes about them
last night. All were glad that Christmas
mad come at last, and not alone Tor the
reason uppermost in the minds Of the lit
tie ones. The strain OF the past two or
three weeks has been q severe one upon
several classes Of our citizens, notably the
merchants and their assistants, the clerks,
and these were, to use q hOmely phrase,
pretty we'll tuckered out" when business
was over at midnight last night, and the
last purchaser of Christmas presents had
taken his bundles and lis leave.
Many clerks have been on their
feet for eighteen and twenty hours per
day all through the week just brought to
a close, it being no unusual thing, in some
classes of retail stores, for the employees to
be delayed until two, three, and in at least
one instance, which came under the wTi-
ter's personal observation, until four
o'clock on the morning following a busy
day, putting the stock TO rights for the
rush Of customers which Wa to he recon-
menced within q few hours, or in prepar-
ing packages to be sent out to purchasers.
As has been remarked by someone, this
sort OF thing is Every wearing on the hu-
man frame, and those who have worked so
faithfully will hail the day which sees a
substantial release from their labOrs with
sincere thanksgiving.
The indefatigable purchaser is also glad
that the day for which such elaborate
preparations had 10 be made, and upon
which so many kindred and friends had TO
be remembered" has at last turned up.
The task has not been an easy one, and
the respite from il is welcome. Aud right
here is a good place to record the fact that
Wheeling never say such an amount OF
shopping as took place this year. The
people seemed To be determined to surpass
all previous records, and they entered
upon the work early and pursued 1t TO the
last with an ardOr which lett no doubt OF
the result in a dispassionate mind. THIS
has cost money, and "big money at that,
but ~ q general thing II has been well
spent, and as a result, the flood of happi'
ness this morning ia considerably higher
that is its annual wont.
Last night afforded a fine opportunity To
study the human race in the incOmpara-
bly, easy act o depending its stock OF cash,
or in the triile more difficult role OF stretch
ing the bonds of credit 10 the parting
point. There never was such a raid upon
the stores. The day ~ q whole had wit
messed a phenomenal amount OF buying,
but the acme was reached after dark.
From all quarters of the city, the peo-
pie turned out en- masse, while the sub
urban towns sent not only hundreds but
literally thousands OF men, women aud
children City-ward with cash in their
pockets and a firm resolve TO spend 1t IN
each several mind. The stores were raided,
and the shelves in the dry goods empOr-
iums, the counters of the toy bazlars and
the Jars and boxes OF the dispenser OF
sweets, weye alike laid waste. The side
walks were filled with q struggling mass
of humanity, each individual the bearer OF
from one to a dozen packages, and in the
rush and confusion some very funny things
occurred. The Jam was, of course, great
est on Market street, and at eight O'Clock
there was often not an inch OF available
standing room on the west side OF that
thOroughfare u~noccupied. By ten O'Clock
the throng had scattered somewhat, but at
eleven every store was open, and there were
still q good many ladies and gentlemen,
and not a few children, who ought TO have
been in bed dreaming Of Santa Claus, to
be seen. But gradually these belated folks
withdrew from sight, and as the big bell
al the City Hall announced twelve O'Clock
and the presence of Christmas, the stores
were generally closed and deserted.
The merchants who are mostly benefit
ted by the Christmas buying look upon
the net results this year with q good deal
of satisfaction. They have transacted a
very large business, and il has been, a a
general thing, at very remunerative rates.
Many stocks are very much depleted,
and this means u good trade. Business
men last night varied a good deal rs to
lust what percentage Of increase bust
ness would show over the corresponding
period of last year, bat all cORcurred IN
the statement that there had been a very
decided Improvement. One OF two said
the difference was very large, aud several
said the facilities at their disposal had
been pushed TO the utmost, and that they
could have accommodated no more Gus
TONERS during the past two or three days.
Nearly all the gentleman spoken to said
the demand was notably IN the direction
Of finer. more substantial and generally
better goods, and money seemed TO be
plenty. There was less credit than usual,
and this alone > much to the retail
dealer.
Much of the immense volume of husi'
ness yesterday was the reSul! of payments
of wages by q number Of large industrial
establishments in this city, BenwOOd and
over the river towns. A gentleman who
was in BenwOOd yesterday while some of
the mills were paying of, said that almost
every employe broke for the city as soon
Is he got his envelope, eager to execute
some commission for wife, or friends, or TO
purchase some token for those dear and
near, and there is little doubt but that
thousands OF dollars were brought up town
10 this way. There was = like steady
stream from the Ohio side of the river.
while not u few purchasers came to town
from considerable distances by rail.
One very noticeable thing about the sd-
vent of the day was the small amount OF
gunpowder burned. The small boy seemed
to have forgotten the old-time custom of
shooting squibs and fi~re-crsckers, and it
was at rare intervals last night that the
lust quiet OF the community was disturbed.
Another very marked thing, aud one
which was fully as pleasant in its way IS
the absence of powder smoke and its ac-
~eompanying din, was the great number of
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